Married couple George and Kim (Jake Weber, Patricia Clarkson) and their son, Miles (Erik Per Sullivan), vacation in a cabin, but they have upset the local backwoods hunter and perhaps awakened an ancient spirit.
Quick Review: To start the horror, the family’s car hits a deer, breaking its antler so it won’t make as good a trophy for the redneck that’s been stalking the animal. Yes, Wendigo’s non-chilling terror comes from that banal beginning. No matter what comes after, I was stuck thinking this hunter was pushed over the edge by a broken antler. Hmmmm. When a film starts with something that ludicrous, there’s no coming back. But then Wendigo doesn’t try very hard. To establish its “Indie cred,” writer/director/snore-inducer Larry Fessenden has nothing happen for the next hour but “meaningful” conversations about being tense and everyday life events. We get to watch the family play cards, eat breakfast, and drive to town. Oh, the excitement. Apparently, “Indie” means painfully dull to Fessenden. But don’t worry, once the barely noticeable, kind-of-horror-oriented (but not really) events start, Fessenden brings all of his insubstantial talent to bear with grainy, poorly lit scenes and shaking cameras. Ah, nothing says artistic Indie like the inability to hold a camera. He also gives us a man in a deer suit. I trust no one involved ever thought that was scary. After several non-happenings, Miles pronounces, “Mom, I’m scared.” All I could think was, “Miles, I’m bored.”